Among the technological developments regarding the automotive industry, there are processes focused towards the manufacturing of low tension primary cable for automotive vehicle use.
The requirements of the automotive industry, world-wide, for materials to be used in the short term (year 2000), are based on the following aspects:
Trends in the automotive market at world level. PA1 Alternatives to fulfill the requirements of the automotive industry. PA1 Present and future norms and specifications of the automotive industry. PA1 Commercially available materials that, according to their properties, can fulfill the automotive cable requirements. PA1 The trends in the automotive industry have been focused towards weight reduction in order to reach a lower demand for fuel. On the other hand, the demand for vehicles that offer better safety, luxury and comfort, and the consequent need for cables for the various additional circuits, has increased rapidly and will continue to increase in the coming years. PA1 Norm SAE J-1678 "Low Tension, Ultra Thin Wall Primary Cable" PA1 FORD Engineering Specification--"Cable, Primary Low Tension 0.25 mm and 0.15 mm Wall"
Conductor diameter reduction, while maintaining the same mechanical characteristics as the conductors presently used in the automotive harnessed, is the alternative chosen by the designers and it will continue to be the main trend during the coming years. This makes it necessary to resort to the conductor materials more mechanically resistant than copper, keeping an adequate balance between mechanical resistance and electrical conductivity in order to meet the specifications.
Presently there are two specification proposals with regard to an automotive cable that covers the previously described characteristics, said two proposals are as follows:
Said specifications do not describe the material with which conductors have to be manufactured, but establish a minimum breaking load as well as a maximum electrical resistance; in this case, the present invention encompasses the 24 and 26 AWG conductors, which present as design condition, seven-wire strand symmetrical formation.
Presently the conductors used for gauges below 22 AWG are manufactured from 100% copper alloys, which must have a mechanical and electrical resistance that meets the above specification.